Fantasy Baseball Daily Round Up: April 3

Justin Mason goes around the league, giving a daily state of the union for the world of fantasy baseball. He outlines the current storylines from the league and gives insight on what to watch for going forward.

Paul DeJong hit his third home run of the season on Monday and has been very good to start the season. DeJong had a number of red flags coming into the season, but those were and will likely continue to be ignored by believers. He still has enormously high BABIP and strikeout rates and puts the ball in the air to an extreme level. He does hit the ball extremely hard, but that can’t account for all the luck he has had. The fact he doesn’t walk is concerning and until we see better patience at the plate, he will not have a safety net when things aren’t going well. This is the time to sell DeJong, as his value will likely never be higher.

Speaking of sell highs, Gerrit Cole was fantastic in his debut for the season striking out 11 in 7 innings. I was high on Cole to start the season, but I don’t expect this to continue and there are some people over inflating his worth in fantasy. He appears to be making some pitch mix changes which would be huge for him to take a next step, but I am not ready to say this is the new normal. If someone feels he is now a top 10 pitcher, I would sell.

Kenley Jansen blew his first save of the season on Monday after Chris Owings hit a three-run bomb in the ninth inning to tie the game. Jansen sat 90-92 in the outing after struggling to touch 90 in his first outing of the year versus the Giants. That is a small improvement, but not what we have come to expect from the top closer in the game. Jansen may be dealing with an injury or mechanical issue right now, but there isn’t much one can do other than go stash Josh Fields or Scott Alexander in case he hits the DL.

Contrary to reports late last week, Yulieski Gurriel will not be activated on Tuesday after his suspension and has been placed on the DL with a hand injury. It appears that his hand is not better and he will need a bit more time to get in the lineup for Houston. He will be eligible to return in 10-days.

Jameson Taillon struck out nine in 5.1 innings versus the Twins on Monday. He struggled in the sixth inning, giving up two runs, but was fantastic up until that point. He was very undervalued coming into drafts this year and the strikeout uptick in this game is promising. This is a player I am buying everywhere I can.

According to Maria Guardado of MLB.com, Angels prospect Jahmai Jones will transition from the outfield to second base. The Angels have gone recent from a joke of a farm system to a decent minor league organization and they have definitely thickened up in the outfield depths. The move gives Jones an unblocked path to the Majors as Ian Kinsler is in the last year of his deal. Jones is widely considered a top 3-5 prospect in their system.

Joe Musgrove was placed on the 10-Day DL with a shoulder strain. He will shut down in hopes rest can help alleviate the issues. This is the second time this season he has been shut down with shoulder issues and while you should DL him if you have the room, it is ok to cut bait on him if you have a decision to make.

What We’ll Be Watching Today

Can Julio Teheran be good at home? He struggled last year with the short porch in Suntrust, but seemed to figure some things out towards the end of the season.

Is Matt Harvey regaining his previous form? He had promising moments in the spring, but was it a mirage?

Will Nelson Cruz be put on the DL? Cruz injured his ankle slipping in the dugout and hasn’t played since. The Mariners are playing in a National League park, so there is a chance they sit or DL him tomorrow since he would likely be only available to pinch hit for the next two games.

Can Jack Flaherty do enough to keep a job? With Adam Wainwright working his way back from injury, Flaherty needs to be special to keep a job in the Cardinals rotation.

Can Chase Anderson continue to be good at home? Anderson looked good in his debut in San Diego, but playing in Petco helps and the Padres offense isn’t great. Now he faces the Cardinals in Miller Park. Can he continue to quell the homers like he did last season?

What is Clayton Kershaw’s velocity? He struggled with velocity in his first outing versus the Giants and was hit around a bit. Was this a mirage or something to start to worry about?

Is Cole Hamels done? I have been completely out on him this year, but have I spoke too soon. He wasn’t awful in his first start, but he wasn’t good either.